Hushe to Hunza – Pakistan Moun

Hushe to Hunza – Pakistan Moun Overview

An adventure cycling holiday on the high roads of Gilgit-Baltistan in northern Pakistan

This spectacular mountain biking holiday in northern Pakistan starts out with a short flight from Islamabad to Skardu, the principal town of Baltistan on the edge of the Karakoram Mountains. Also known as 'Little Tibet', this is where the story of KE Adventure Travel began and we took the very first mountain bikes to Baltistan as long ago as 1988. Cycling from Khaplu to the remote mountain village of Hushe on the first day of this great adventure, we can look across to the towering peak of Masherbrum (7821m) at the head of the valley. Then, after 4 days beside the upper Indus River, we set off to bike to Hunza via the Deosai Plains, a vast and pristine plateau an elevation of around 4000 metres. This alpine grassland wilderness, home to Himalayan brown bears and an array of other rare wildlife, was designated as a national park 20 years ago. The rough jeep road that we cycle across is closed by snow for much of the year. Camping beside the stunning Sheosar Lake, we then pass close to the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat (8126m) the ninth highest peak in the world, as we continue our ride to the bazaar town of Gilgit on the Karakoram Highway. A short transfer then takes us via the recently-formed Attabad Lake to Passu at the heart of the Hunza Valley which is renowned as one of the most spectacular places on Earth. Enormous glaciers descend to the roadside and picturesque villages cling precariously to the steep valley sides. From Passu we descend to the old Hunza capital of Karimabad, beneath the towering Rakaposhi (7788m) and cycle back to Gilgit partly on the Karakoram Highway and partly on sections of now little-used jeep road. This is the finest adventure cycling holiday in Pakistan.